Vietnamese-Style Chicken Salad

Dress up grilled chicken breasts with bright Vietnamese flavors. The salad is built off packaged coleslaw mix, enhanced with fresh mint and cilantro, crunchy peanuts, and a sweet-and-salty dressing of fish sauce and rice vinegar.

Tip:

Tip:

If you don’t have a grill, you can cook the chicken indoors on a ridged grill pan over medium-high heat for the same amount of time.

Prepare a medium grill fire.

With a mortar and pestle, pound the shallots, jalapeno, sugar, and 1/8 tsp. pepper until the shallots are very soft (but not pureed) and liquid is released. Transfer to a large serving bowl and stir in the vinegar and fish sauce.

Season the chicken with 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper and grill, turning once, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Let cool and then shred the chicken with your fingers into long thin strips, pulling the meat along its natural grain.

Toss the coleslaw mix into the vinegar mixture. Add the chicken, mint, and cilantro and combine well. Top with the peanuts and serve at room temperature.

user reviews

made it?

by Alexandralwhite, 3/23/2012Loved it, bright and delicious. I used about 14 oz of chopped cabbage and 2 shredded carrots instead of coleslaw mix, and some asian marinated chicken from the butchers. Will definitely make this again.

by kimbluekat, 3/19/2012It tasted like 5 stars and was very easy to make but I gave it four because I added some ingredients. I marinated the chicken in lime juice, soy, ginger and lemongrass paste with a little oil before grilling. I also added lime juice, bean sprouts and cucumber to the salad. I will be making this one again!

by janann1999, 10/11/2011I was very pleased with this salad. Fresh tasting!! I am not a fish person but the fish sauce is not fishy at all. Hard to find-I found in at Fresh n Easy.

by smiths37, 6/13/2011This is very good! I threw the jalapeno and shallots in the food processor instead of using a mortar and pestle. Also used a 16 oz bag of coleslaw mix and 1 1/4 lb of chicken (since that's what I had in the freezer). Added a little bit more cilantro and peanuts (non-salted so I added a little salt too). The recipe is quick, easy, delicious and good the next day for lunch too!

by RoofieColada, 5/3/2011My new favorite dish!! Low calorie, high protien and packed with flavor. This is my new staple around the house.

by RoofieColada, 5/3/2011My new favorite dish!! Low calorie, high protien and packed with flavor. This is my new staple around the house.

by sbedford, 4/29/2011Easy and quick. Made my own coleslaw mix with green and red cabbage and carrot. Used about 8 oz for two servings. Also, didn't have shallots on hand, so substituted red onion. Sliced the chicken breast as I would a flank steak and put on top of the salad mix instead of mixing it all in. Great Asian style salad for a warm summer supper.

by biggar, 1/9/2010Great meal. I now make it about once per month. I've made it with grilled shrimp and always add a crushed clove of garlic and a teaspoon of roasted sesame oil. I have also used cashews for their unsaturated fat content.
I'm now adding chopped onion and grated fresh ginger

by twood, 10/22/2010Nice Fresh Salad. I really liked the mint/cilantro combo. I also added a little crushed garlic, and also a dash of fresh grated ginger. Would be good with shrimp, or even diced leftover chicken, or as is! I like the sesame oil suggestion. Will try that next time.

by Lyneyster, 8/30/2010Definitely used 16 oz coleslaw mix not 6 oz. Great recipe, added a 2nd large jalapeno in addition to the slaw,

by Aineo, 12/1/2009Salad was delicious. Just the right amount of flavour. I doubled the amount of cabbage mixture and also added snap peas.

by Jennifer_E, 9/1/2009Delicious! I cut the onion in half and added snap peas.

by jmajs, 10/28/2008Fresh. Delicious. I have made this several times. Always a hit